A Clockwork Fairy
by Robert Teague
Summary: Alfea's main clock is breaking down, which will leave the school vulnerable to attack, so Queen Clarion of Pixie Hollow sends a certain tinker fairy to fix it. But the Trix see an opportunity to get what they've been after.
1. Chapter 1

A Clockwork Fairy

by Robert Teague

This story was written for the entertainment of Winx Club and Tinker Bell fans, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story may be reproduced, provided no changes are made, and you let me know.

Author's Note: In Winx Club continuity, this takes place early in Season One, and in Tinker Bell movie continuity after Secret of the Wings.

Chapter One

As the school clock atop the Admin Building and just above Ms. Faragonda's office struck noon, the student fairies were let out of class for lunch. The crowd slowly made its way toward the dining hall, the girls talking and enjoying the fair autumn day.

The five girls known collectively as the Winx Club got together at the edge of the porch of the classroom wing so they could walk to the hall and eat together. They didn't hurry; there would be plenty of food and time to eat. Their first year had progressed enough for the students to decide on where they liked to sit, and with whom, so it wasn't likely anyone had taken what they now considered "their" seats.

While Stella, Flora, Musa and Bloom talked excitedly about this and that, Tecna merely walked with them and listened. The odd girl was still reserved around the others, uncertain of her place in the club even though everyone had made it clear she was wanted and accepted.

Noticing Tecna was nether speaking or being spoken to, Flora reached over and took her elbow, pulling her up beside her as the last few chimes were rung.

"Tecna, did you see that-" she began, but was interrupted when Tecna stopped walking, a puzzled expression on her face.

Flora stopped as well, and this drew the attention of the others.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" asked Flora, concerned.

Tecna tilted her head a bit, and looked at the clock. "The clock struck thirteen times," she explained.

"Huh? Thirteen? Are you sure?" asked Musa.

"I am certain," was the reply.

"What does it mean?" asked Bloom. She was still new to Alfea, and discovering new things about the school almost every day.

"Ah, who cares?" asked Stella, "As long as it doesn't make us late for a meal."

"I will speak to Ms. Griselda at lunch," said Tecna. "It may be nothing, but malfunctioning technology bothers me."

"So I've noticed," said Stella, "But you're probably worried over nothing."

"We shall see."

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After getting their food and settling in (as expected, their usual seats were open), Tecna went to the stage where the teachers sat.

"Yes, Miss Tecna?" asked Griselda when the fairy approached her.

"I wish to report that the clock struck thirteen just now," she replied.

All the teachers stopped eating and turned to them.

"Are you certain?" asked Faragonda.

"Yes, ma'am," she nodded once.

"We will check it at one o'clock. Go finish your meal, Miss Tecna, and report to us then," replied Griselda.

"Thank you for your attention," nodded the Fairy of Technology, and headed for her seat.

"I'm not surprised," said Griselda to Faragonda, "It's been quite some time since it last happened."

"Agreed. And at least this time it was caught early, before anything could be affected," was the reply.

Tecna sat down and picked up her fork.

"What did she say?" asked Stella, taking a bite of fruit salad.

"They will check it at one o'clock, and have asked me to attend," said Tecna.

"Well, if any fairy could help, it would be you," said Bloom.

Tecna looked at her friend from earth. "Thank you for your confidence. I will do my best, of course."

"Nobody doubts that," smirked Musa.

The fuscha-haired girl was not sure how to reply, so instead returned her attention to her meal.

wc/t wc/t wc/t

One o'clock found Faragonda, Griselda, and Tecna standing in the quad, looking up at the clock. The rest of the Winx had wanted to stay and see what happened, but were told to report to class.

The clock chimed once.

"It is two point five seven four seconds slow," stated Tecna.

Griselda started to ask how she knew to such accuracy when the clock suddenly gave a half-chime at a lower volume.

"That confirms it," said Faragonda, "Alfea has a serious problem."

"Might I ask why? It is not the only clock in the school," asked Tecna.

"No, but it is the one that all others synchronize to," said Griselda, "For example the timing of the security shield at night."

Faragonda waved a hand and a diagram appeared before them. It was the clock, separated into its components in a 3D format.

Tecna studied it for a moment. "It appears to be primitive technology."

"It is very old, but it is the best solution for the job," replied Faragonda, "There are devices in place that monitor the time and send that information to the other clocks, but the clock itself is purely mechanical and has no spells of any kind on it."

"Other, more advanced methods of timekeeping were tried, but the stress of the entire system on the central unit caused them to break down quickly," added Griselda. "It's just the nature of the system and school, and would be more trouble than it's worth to change. "If you want to know more about it, I recommend 'The History of Alfea' in the library."

"I see..." nodded Tecna, studying the diagram. She reached up and touched a corner, and it spun around slowly so she could see it at different angles. The clock was all gears and springs and levers.

"I would offer my services, but I am not certain of my capability with technology this old. I might end up doing more harm than good." She hesitated for a moment, then added, "I could try a fixing spell I know that is quite good for repairing computers."

The two teachers exchanged a glance. As usual with her, Tecna was completely honest in her statements.

"That is appreciated, Tecna, but a fix-it spell could not be used. The clock must remain magic-free," said Faragonda, "We will call the ones who installed it and see if they can send someone."

"Yes, ma'am," nodded the student fairy, "But when they arrive, might I help, or at least observe? I wish to add to my experiences."

"Certainly, Tecna, I'm glad you are taking such an interest. We'll let you know when the repair person arrives," was the answer.

"Thank you, Ms. Faragonda. I will return to class, now," said Tecna, taking her leave.

wc/t wc/t wc/t

Later that afternoon, when she could spare a few minutes, Faragonda sent a magical call to another realm.

In Pixie Hollow, a section of Never Land where fairies lived, was a large tree called the Pixie Dust Tree. Within its branches and hollows lived the queen, Clarion.

She was consulting with the various talent supervisors about some minor problems of the kind that crop up from time to time when a crystal ball coalesced beside her. Within its depths was an old friend.

The supervisors fell silent, as this was an unusual occurrence.

"Faragonda! How nice to hear from you! It has been a long time, now! How are you?" said the queen with a smile.

"I am quite well, Queen Clarion," she replied, "The new school year started a few months ago, and this year's students are a real handful! How are you?"

The queen gave a chuckle. "I don't doubt that for a moment. I'm doing well myself. Lord Milori and I now have a way to get around the problem of warm and cold fairies mixing, and are together again!"

"Wonderful news!" Faragonda exclaimed, "I was hoping that could be resolved!"

"Yes, we are very happy!" said the queen. "Now, how may I help you?"

"I'm afraid the main clock is breaking down again," said Faragonda.

"I see. A long stretch since the last time. I'll be happy to send over my best tinker to fix it," said Clarion.

"Thank you! Is the transfer point still available?"

"Yes, I keep everything in place and ready to send or receive, just in case," said Clarion.

"Very wise of you," replied Faragonda, "Then I will cast the opening spell here, and your tinker may come over at their convenience."

"Is the problem severe yet?" asked the queen.

"No, fortunately a student noticed an extra chime and reported it," was the answer.

"Glad to hear it! I remember what happened last time," Clarion said.

"Yes, that was unpleasant for everyone." Faragonda looked at her friend. "Clarion, I'm sorry. I should make an effort to keep in touch more often."

The queen waved off the apology. "I understand, Faragonda, we're both quite busy. But I'll make an effort as well. Maybe at some point we can get together again."

"I would like that. Thank you again, and I will talk to you soon, your majesty," said Faragonda.

"Expect my tinker soon. Goodbye, Faragonda," said Clarion, and the spell was broken. The ball dissolved into dust and was gone.

Clarion looked around at the waiting supervisors and found who she was looking for. "Fairy Mary, send Tinker Bell to me. I have a very special mission for her."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Tinker Bell was excited, and it showed in the speed at which she made ready to go.

She had gone to see Queen Clarion at Fairy Mary's request, and the queen had dropped an unexpected mission on her. She was being given the chance to go to an entirely different realm and repair a clock at a school for fairies!

She paused a moment, wondering what a "school for fairies" was. When a fairy was born, she already knew the basics of life, and found their talent quickly, and picked up what else she needed to know as time passed. She knew what a "school of fish" was; maybe it was similar. 'I guess I'll find out soon enough,' she thought.

She looked into the bag she had been packing. "That's all my personal things... the queen said I might have to be there a few days... I hope this will be enough." She closed the flap and tied it. "Okay, now for my metalworking tools..."

She unrolled the diagram scroll the queen had given her and studied it, muttering to herself. Then she zipped around, gathering what she would need for the repairs and putting them in a smaller bag, including her tool belt.

She recounted to herself everything she had packed. This was an important mission, and she didn't want to look foolish by forgetting something vital. Finally she satisfied herself everything was ready to go.

She had just picked up the bags when there was a knock at the door. Before she could answer it opened, and in came her friends. Fawn, Iridessa, Silvermist, Rosetta, Bobble, Clank, Terrence, and finally Vidia all crowded into the teapot that Tinker Bell used as a home.

While the girls (except Vidia) crowded around her and talked excitedly, Bobble and Clank went through the equipment pouch and Terrence stood to the side with a smile on his face.

"Are you going to be okay?" asked Iridessa.

Tinker Bell smiled. "I don't see why not. Queen Clarion has visited this Alfea school, and says it's a safe place. Besides, it's supposed to be full of fairies."

Vidia scowled. "Then why didn't they get one of their own tinkers to fix that clock?"

"I hadn't thought of that..." said the tinker, "I don't know. I suppose I'll find out when I get there."

"You be very careful and come home soon!" said Silvermist, giving her a hug.

"And if you need some kind of help, let us know and we'll be there!" said Fawn.

"Tink, I'd say you've got everything you'll need, and you are good to go!" said Clank with a thumbs up.

"Except some spare metal," said Bobble. He brought out three silver-colored ingots and put them in the bag.

"Thank you, guys!" said Tinker Bell, "I had forgotten that."

"What about food?" asked Rosetta.

"The queen told me I would be fed at Alfea," was the reply.

"Well, just in case, here," said Rosetta, and gave Tinker Bell a pack with some blueberry muffins in it.

"Oh, thank you, Rose!" cried Tinker Bell, taking them.

"And here's the other thing you might need," said Terrence, "Some extra pixie dust." He held out a pouch to the blond fairy.

"Thank you, Terrence!" Tinker Bell gave her friend a hug.

"You're welcome. Queen Clarion suggested I bring it to you," he said, a bit embarrassed at the affection, "Just in case."

"Very much appreciated!" said Tinker Bell, putting the two bags away carefully.

She picked up her bags and turned to her friends. "I need to go. Thanks for being here, guys!"

"You take care of yourself now, hear?" said Rosetta.

"I will. Bye!" Tinker Bell lifted off the floor, wings fluttering, and zipped past them and out the door amidst a chorus of goodbyes. Vidia had tried to remain aloof, but she had murmured a goodbye and gave a halfhearted wave.

With a huge grin on her face, Tinker Bell turned her attention to her destination. As she flew by the Pixie Dust Tree, she angled toward the north side. Queen Clarion had told her of a secluded spot beside a root marked by a circle of stones. This was supposed to be a place that would take her to this other realm called "Magix". She hoped it would live up to its name.

It took a bit of searching before she found the spot and landed outside the circle. There was a sign on a post by the root saying entry was forbidden except by order of the queen. Well, she had an order from the queen.

She stepped inside the circle and moved to the center. She waited, but nothing happened. The queen hadn't told her what to expect, just to wait.

Suddenly a pale blue glow that reminded her of lightning surrounded her. It intensified until it was too bright to look at, then faded. The fairy was no longer in Pixie Hollow.

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To Tinker Bell, it seemed that the ground suddenly fell from under her, then was just as quickly put back.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed, getting her balance back.

The blue light faded away, and she found herself in a very large room, standing on a round platform of some white stone. Around the edge was a row of white stones flat on top and rounded on the sides.

The room's walls were yellow, and were mostly hidden by bookshelves. A wooden desk littered with papers sat in the middle. Behind the chair was a large window that was letting in the afternoon sun. On the far wall was a large oval mirror, and to the left a closed door.

In the mirror she could see herself, and discovered that the stone disk was on top of a small wooden table.

For a long minute, Tinker Bell took it all in. Then it suddenly hit her- the room and things in it were much too big! This COULDN'T be a fairy place! It had to be for humans! Something had gone wrong! She was not where she was supposed to be!

"Oh, this is bad..." she half-whispered, fearful a human would suddenly jump out and squash her.

Dropping her bags, she flew over to the mirror, touching the cold surface briefly, then flew over to the window. She gasped in surprise.

The room she was in was above the ground, and she had a clear view of an open lawn between two wings of a building that curved toward her. She realized it was a horseshoe-shaped place, and she was at the bottom. Directly across the lawn was a white fence that stretched across the open end and had an arched gate in the middle.

Humans were walking to and fro across the lawn either alone or in groups of two or three.

"That confirms it," she said aloud, "This is most definitely the wrong place. But I have to admit, it's not like any human place I've seen, and very pretty."

"Why, thank you, Miss Tinker Bell," said a female voice behind her, "We do take pride in our school."

Spinning quickly, she saw a woman standing on the other side of the desk. She had white hair, glasses, and wore a white skirt and a blue top with white sleeves. She also had a friendly smile.

"EEEP!" Tinker Bell exclaimed, pressing against the glass.

The woman chuckled. "No need to be frightened; you are in the right place. This is the Alfea School for Fairies, and I am the headmistress, Faragonda."

The blond fairy relaxed a bit. "I didn't hear you come in."

She flew toward Faragonda, then suddenly stopped. "Wait- you can understand me?"

"Why, certainly!" was the reply.

"But- humans can't understand fairies! We sound like bells tinkling to them!" She pointed an accusing finger. "Are you trying to trick me?"

Faragonda laughed. "No, of course not! I can understand you because I'm a fairy too! All the students here are fairies!"

Tinker Bell looked skeptically at her. "I doubt that. You're way too big to be a fairy! Plus neither you or anybody I saw outside have wings!" She jerked a thumb over her shoulder toward the window.

"We have wings when we change forms," the headmistress explained, "This is a different place, with different rules than you're used to."

With a wave of her hand, the clock diagram appeared. "But to prove you're in the right place, Queen Clarion sent you to fix our clock."

Tinker Bell studied the diagram. With her tinker's skill, she recognized it as the same diagram she had. That was all the confirmation she needed.

"All right; I'm convinced," she said, "Sorry. But the queen didn't tell me the fairies here were the size of humans!"

"Just her little joke, I imagine," said Faragonda. She turned to the door. "Get your things and come with me. We'll get you settled in and oriented before you start work."

Tinker Bell grabbed the bags and caught up with Faragonda just as she started to open the door.

"I do have a question," she said.

"Oh? What's that?" asked the teacher.

"When do we eat?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The first place Faragonda took Tinker Bell was the dining hall below her office. Dinner would be served in a bit over an hour, and already the smell of cooking food was filling the room. To the Pixie Hollow fairy, it was all quite exotic. She was looking forward to trying new foods.

Going outside, Faragonda pointed out the classroom wing on the west side, and the dorm wing on the east. Behind them was the Administration Building. Stepping away from the building, Faragonda pointed out the clock above them.

The visitor flew up to it and studied the movement. Then she pressed an ear against the face and listened. She could tell there was something wrong just from the sound. Considering its size, she had a real challenge on her hands. Then she flew back down to her hostess.

"Miss Faragonda, I have a question," said Tinker Bell, "Why do you need a tinker from Pixie Hollow? Can't one of your tinkers fix the clock?

Not that I'm ungrateful to have this experience," she added quickly. She was itching to get started, but didn't want to ruin the chance and be sent home.

"The clock was a gift from Queen Clarion. Miss Griselda and I helped her with a problem long ago, and she gave it to the school. Pixie Hollow tinkers made it, so it's best they fix it," said Faragonda.

"I didn't know that," replied Tinker Bell. She realized she still didn't know much about history.

"In addition, the fairies here are not specialized the way you are," answered the teacher, "We don't have tinkers, as such. We do have fairies who draw their power from specific things, such as water, or starlight, or flowers, but they are not restricted to that type of magic.

One student is interested in helping you fix the clock, and she's about the closest thing to a tinker we have."

"I see... I think. This is a different way of looking at fairy magic," said Tinker Bell, thoughtfully. She looked around,  
but didn't find what she sought.

"Where is your Pixie Dust Tree? I would have expected it to be right in the middle of the school," the blond asked.

"We don't use pixie dust to fly," said Faragonda, "In fact, fairies here can't access it until they reach Enchantix form."

"No pixie dust... changing forms... different powers... the rules are certainly different here," said Tinker Bell.

"You will find many more differences the longer you stay here," was the reply. Faragonda noticed Griselda standing to the side, waiting to talk to her. "Excuse me a moment, please."

Tinker Bell flew over and looked down the Wishing Well. A cool breeze flowed up from it, reminding her of both Silvermist and Vidia. She wished all her friends were here to see this place.

"Hello." said a voice nearby.

The tiny fairy looked over to see a human girl... no, a large fairy... with fuscha hair and a matching outfit standing by the well.

"I am Tecna of Zenith, the Fairy of Technology. You must be Tinker Bell of Pixie Hollow. It is nice to meet you," she said.

"You as well," said the other, and flew over to her. "Are you the one who will be helping me?"

Tecna noted the visitor was about six inches tall and glowing, with sparkling dust drifting from her. Her clothes seemed to be made of leaves. "I am, though I am not certain how much help I will be. I have no experience with technology this old."

At that, Tinker Bell pouted a bit, but decided to withhold judgment until she had seen what Tecna could do.

"Tecna," Faragonda called, still standing with Griselda, "Since she is staying with you, would you please take her in hand?"

Tinker Bell immediately darted out of arm's reach.

"She did not mean 'in hand' literally," Tecna assured her, smiling briefly. "Come with me, and I'll show you your quarters."

During the walk to the Winx Club's suite, Tinker Bell ooohed and ahhed at everything she saw. "I'm getting some ideas to try in Pixie Hollow," she explained.

Getting to the suite, Tecna stepped inside, followed by the tiny fairy.

"Our guest is here!" the larger fairy called.

At that four more human-looking fairies came out of other rooms and greeted them.

"Tinker Bell, I would like to introduce Flora of Linphea, Bloom of Earth, Stella of Solaria, and my other roommate, Musa of Melody." said Tecna, "Friends, this is Tinker Bell of Pixie Hollow. She will be doing the clock repairs."

"Very nice to meet all of you," said Tinker Bell, giving a bow in mid-air.

Flora giggled. "She's cute! And I love that dress!"

"Hmmmm..." said Stella, appraising the visitor, "I think you could use a makeover."

"Stella!" said Flora, nudging the blond fairy who turned a bit red.

"I like how your voice has bells in it," said Musa, "It's a pretty sound."

"Actually I'm surprised you can understand me," said Tinker Bell, "Humans just hear the bells."

"Well, I'm the Fairy of Music, so I'm sensitive to sounds," explained Musa.

"Oh... well, I'm a tinker. I guess you're like the music-talent fairies at home," was the reply.

"What's a... tinker?" asked Stella.

"I fix pots and pans, and invent things to make life easier," she replied.

"Essentially a technology fairy, like myself," Tecna interjected.

Flora glanced at her roommate Bloom, who hadn't said anything to this point, to find she was staring at Tinker Bell with amazement.

"Bloom?" asked Flora, "Is something wrong?"

"I've heard of you!" said the redhead to the tinker.

Everyone looked at Bloom.

"Before I found out I WAS a fairy, I used to obsess over them. I read every book I could get my hands on about them, and I remember a couple that had a small fairy named Tinker Bell in them," said Bloom. "And you fit her description."

"How is that possible?" asked Musa.

"Coincidence, obviously," said Tecna.

"I m not so sure I agree. The books were old, a hundred years or more," said Bloom.

Tinker Bell thought a minute. "Well, long ago I knew a human girl named Lizzie. She might have passed on the stories. And to the best of my knowledge I am the only fairy ever named Tinker Bell."

"How long ago?" asked Bloom.

"I'm not sure. We keep track of the change of seasons, but don't really count them," was the reply.

"Sounds like you have a research project, Bloom," smirked Stella.

"Yeah, I would like to know the facts about this," she replied, thoughtfully.

"I wasn't serious!" said Stella, "We have enough homework to do already!"

"I think it's a good idea, Bloom," said Tecna. "You could use the extra credit."

Bloom rolled her eyes but didn't reply. She knew it was just the way Tecna was, and she didn't mean it as an insult. The others made some ill-concealed snickers.

"Tinker Bell, let me show you your quarters," said Tecna.

The small fairy looked around and said to all of them, "My friends call me Tink."

This brought smiles to the fairies of the Winx Club.

Tinker Bell followed Tecna into the room she shared with Musa, where a house had been magically created and set on a dresser. She flew over to it and went inside. She marveled at the furniture and pictures, the electric lights and running water. There was a bedroom with a bed just her size, and a closet where she unfolded her spare dresses and put them away. She put the bags in it as well.

"A fairy could get used to this!" she said aloud.

As she headed for the door, she heard the clock strike six. From the sound of the chimes, the problem was getting worse.

Tecna was waiting for her. "The clock is now six point two four five seconds slow. It has lost three seconds in the last five hours. It used to be perfectly on time."

As she followed the other fairy out of the room she said, "I would like to get started now, but I'm very hungry and it's getting dark outside."

"I as well," was the response.

"It's dinner time anyway, and I'm hungry too!" said Stella, patting her stomach.

"According to the diagram, the system's fault tolerance will handle it until tomorrow morning, so let's get some food and rest tonight," said Tecna, "It's only logical."

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In the dining hall, Faragonda stood up and waved Tinker Bell over to her. "Girls, this is Tinker Bell of Pixie Hollow. She will be fixing the clock."

Everyone chorused a hello and a wave. Griselda had warned them not to crowd around the visitor and scare her with the size difference.

Tinker Bell flew along the length of each table, waving to all the fairies before returning to the stage, where a place had been set for her. Where she had flown, the pixie dust drifting from her landed on the various dishes and condiment jars and they sparkled, lifting from the tables. The fairies laughed and grabbed them before they could float away.

"Oops, sorry!" said Tinker Bell, turning red.

Since the Pixie Hollow fairies did not eat meat, her meal consisted of a variety of fruits, vegetables, and breads, most of which were unfamiliar to her. She ate quite a bit (considering her size) with gusto, finding only a few things she didn't like.

Later back in the suite, Tinker Bell got out the gift from Rosetta and passed out the muffins to her new friends. To the Alfea fairies they were the size of a pea, but very, very good.

The remainder of the evening was spent in the common room, talking. The Alfea fairies and the Pixie Hollow fairy learned much about each other.

As she got into the bed in the house, Tinker Bell thought she would be too excited to sleep, but it claimed her quickly.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The next morning found the students going to class after breakfast, except for Tecna and Tinker Bell.

"Good luck, guys!" said Musa, which was echoed by the others as they left.

Tecna had shifted to fairy form (the sight of which delighted Tinker Bell) and they flew up to the clock together. Tecna opened the crystal face, then the second latch, which allowed the clock itself to swing out from the building. This took the machine offline, but the system was ready for it and went into standby mode.

Tinker Bell conjured her diagram and inspected the clockworks visually and hands-on, while Tecna used her palmtop computer to do her own inspection.

After several minutes of trying, Tecna gave up and put it away. "I can't find out anything useful," she complained, "This tech is just too old for my sensors."

"Good thing it's NOT too old for me, then!" the other fairy rejoined with a grin. "This is the second time I've been able to examine a clock like this."

"Have you found anything yet?" asked Tecna, changing the subject.

"Well... maybe," she answered, "This set of gears seems to be slightly out of place. Would you open the bracing in the back, please?"

Tecna did so, and Tinker Bell gasped. "There it is- several teeth have been shorn off of that gear." She pointed, and Tecna could see the missing teeth and metal shavings lying on the protective band surrounding the works. "That has made the entire works shift and put stress where it shouldn't be."

She flew up to the problem area and took a good look. "I can repair it, but..." she glanced at the diagram, "...I think we're going to have to disassemble the entire thing."

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"Is that a pixie?"

"I hate pixies."

'If it is, it's like no pixie I ever saw."

Three young women stood in a gloomy room, staring at a crystal ball. Within its depths was a picture of the two fairies working on the clock. Their names were Icy, Darcy, and Stormy; a trio of witches known collectively as the Trix. They were seniors here in the Cloud Tower School for Witches, and were powerful and feared by the underclass witches.

"What do you mean, Darcy?" asked Stormy, glancing at her coven sister.

The dark witch sighed in exasperation. "I'll show you." She made a hand gesture and the picture tightened in on the smaller of the pair.

"Careful, we don't want to alert them we're watching," said Icy sharply.

"I know that, now let me handle it," shot back Darcy. She turned back to the ball.

"Look. Not only is she not dressed like any pixie from Pixie Village, she's too tall, and her head is smaller, more like a regular-sized person's."

"Oh, yeah, I see..." said Stormy. "So, what is she doing?"

"Obviously repairing that clock!" said Icy. She really wished Stormy wasn't so slow on the uptake. "You know, that fairy in purple looks familiar... haven't we met her before?" she added.

"I think so. Those unusual wings stand out," said Stormy.

"Oh, I know; she's one of Stella's friends," said Icy with a snap of her fingers. "Can't remember her name, though."

"Clock... clock..." muttered Darcy, deep in thought.

The other two looked at her. "What is it?"

"Something about that clock... it's important to running Alfea..." she replied.

"It doesn't ring any bells with me," said Stormy.

"Me either," added Icy, wincing at the inadvertent pun, "But if you think it's important, try to figure it out."

"Oh! I've got it!" said Darcy, after a minute's thought, "Remember that semester class freshman year where we had to learn about Alfea and Red Fountain?"

"Kinda..." said Icy, trying to remember.

"Not really," said Stormy, shaking her head, "Not from that long ago."

"There was something about that clock in the textbook. Be right back," she said, and headed for the door.

In the corridor she looked around and found a couple of freshmen walking together. One was carrying a stack of textbooks. She quickly cast a spell which pulled the books away from their owner and left them floating. This startled the new witches, who stopped to see what had happened.

Darcy made a pulling gesture, and one book flew over to her. The rest dropped to the floor.

"HEY!" exclaimed the outraged witch.

Her friend grabbed her. "Shhhh..." she warned, "That's Darcy. She's a senior and one of the Trix. You DON'T want to cross her," she whispered.

The other witch shuddered and fell silent. She had heard stories of the Trix...

Darcy went through the index and found the entry she wanted. She turned to the relevant pages and scanned them. Then she dropped the book and went back in the room.

"Okay, I found it," she announced, "That clock regulates everything timed at Alfea. If it's out of commission, all the defenses will be down."

"Oh, perfect!" cackled Icy, "This might be our best chance to get Stella's ring!"

wc/t wc/t wc/t

Ms. Faragonda and Ms. Griselda were in the office, so Tecna got their attention through the window. They came out on the balcony to meet with the two technologists, who explained what the repairs would take.

"Are you sure you need to do that?" Ms. Griselda asked.

"Yes, ma'am," answered Tinker Bell, "To repair that gear I need to take it out of the works, and that means taking the whole thing apart."

"How long will it take?" asked Faragonda.

"Oh, I think a day should be long enough," said Tinker Bell, and Tecna agreed with her.

"Would you be able to put it back together?" asked Griselda, "That's what worries me."

The fairy from Pixie Hollow took on an annoyed expression, and Tecna quickly injected, "Oh, certainly! The diagrams are detailed and clear."

"Griselda, we don't have any choice in this," said Faragonda, "We'll need to inform the teachers that the systems will be down for at least another day, and cope with it until the repairs are made."

"Don't worry, I'll do my best to make the repairs quick and of the best quality," said Tinker Bell.

Griselda sighed. "I don't like it. Alfea shouldn't be defenseless for any length of time."

"Perhaps you can use this as an opportunity to teach defensive magic to the students," said Faragonda.

Griselda looked thoughtful. "Yes, I can do that... assign each one a specific place if we need their magic for defense."

"What will you need to expedite the repairs?" asked Faragonda, turning to the other two.

"The main thing will be to have a table brought over below the clock as a workbench, so we have to move it as little as possible," answered Tecna.

"That should be no problem," said Griselda, "I'll ask Professor Palladium to handle it."

Just then the students began leaving the classrooms for lunch.

Noticing this, Faragonda said, "You two go to lunch. I know it's been a long morning for you both. We'll make sure what you need is ready."

wc/t wc/t wc/t

"WHAT did that pixie say?" asked Stormy, looking confused. They had been listening in on the consultation.

"I don't know," answered Icy, "It just sounds like a bell ringing when she speaks. Darcy, did you understand any of that?"

The dark witch shook her head. "Not a word. Just more proof she's not from Pixie Village."

Icy waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah, we're way past that now. But now we know the defensive systems are down, and will be that way for a while."

"Okay, but so what?" asked Stormy, "Other than us not being detected when we get there, how will that help us get Stella's ring? All the fairies will still be around, and on higher alert."

Icy gave a nasty grin. "I'm glad you asked, dear sister, because it's going to be up to you to provide a distraction."

wc/t wc/t wc/t

Tinker Bell ate her lunch with the Winx. A table and chair her size had been conjured up, along with dishes and silverware. As other fairies came by with their lunch, they spoke to her and asked questions about the clock and herself.

But finally everyone was seated and eating.

She ate quietly, distracted by her thoughts on fixing the clock. The disassembly would be fairly straightforward, especially with Tecna's help.

She was pretty sure Bobble had provided enough metal to replace the teeth, and if necessary she could use the broken ones as well. They would be somewhat weaker than the others from metal fatigue, so that was a last resort.

She grinned to herself. This was a challenge and a fantastic adventure rolled together, and she was very grateful Queen Clarion had chosen her for it.

"Hey, Tink, what are you grinnin' about?" asked Musa.

She looked up at the fairy who reminded her of Silvermist. "Oh, it's just that I'm having a lot of fun here."

"Glad to hear it!" said Bloom, "I'm having a lot of fun getting to know you!"

That sentiment was echoed by Flora and Stella.

"I as well," said Tecna, "But don't forget; the hard part starts after lunch."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"A distraction, huh?" said Stormy, "I'm up for it. What do I need to do?"

"While they are working on the clock, you conjure a thunderstorm," said Icy, "But NOT a tornado! That would point to you very quickly."

"That IS my signature," Stormy agreed.

"Anyway, drive it to Alfea, and at the right moment make a strong wind and blow that small fairy miles away into the Dark Forest. All the Alfea fairies will go after her, and that will leave the place empty for us."

Darcy and Stormy laughed, and Icy joined in.

"I like it!" said Stormy with a grin.

"Me too!" added Darcy, "I'll make sure the clouds are as dark as possible, to add to the confusion."

"Just be careful! We don't want them to suspect it's us!" cautioned Icy.

"I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING!" shot back Darcy, with heat in her voice.

"Okay, okay, calm down, just a reminder," said Icy. "I'll add a bit of hail, as it would be expected."

Stormy looked thoughtful. "If we want it to seem like a natural storm, it will have to move in from the northwest. That's where the main weather patterns come from."

"But that means going near Red Fountain," Darcy protested. "They could detect us!"

"We'll just have to give it a wide berth," said Icy, "Go closer to the Barrier Mountains than to that school."

"Which will make the trip longer," said Darcy.

"If we want to be convincing, we'll have to go that way," said Stormy.

"It just better be worth all the work," grumbled Darcy.

"It will be," said Icy, "The Dragonfire is almost ours!"

Darcy sighed, thinking of all the flying and teleporting ahead, but didn't reply.

"Let's go eat lunch and blow off afternoon classes. The quicker we get there, the quicker we make our goal!" said Icy, and led the way from the room.

wc/t wc/t wc/t

That afternoon several students under Palladium's supervision brought an intact work table from the potions lab Stella had destroyed last year and set it up on the Admin Building's porch under the balcony. It was still blackened and scored, but sat solidly.

"What happened to it?" asked Tinker Bell.

"Ask Stella sometime; it's her story," said Tecna. "Will this do?"

"Yes, perfectly," she answered.

"Now you need to make a decision," said Tecna, "Do you want to start now, or wait for tomorrow morning where we can work all day?"

Tinker Bell almost answered 'start now' without thinking about it. But she needed to include Tecna in the decision. "What do you think?"

"Either way is fine for me," said the taller fairy, sitting down on the table, "You're the one making the repairs, so it has to be your decision. I'm just the assistant."

After a minute's thought, Tinker Bell said, "Let's at least get the clock down to the bench. It's going to take some time to do that, and we'll have all afternoon to take it apart."

Tecna changed to fairy form and they flew up to the clock.

"You take out the bolts holding it to the hinge, and I'll hold the clock up," said Tecna.

As Tinker Bell flew over to the hinge, Tecna flew up under the machine and grabbed it on the bottom.

After a few minutes, the tinker fairy said, "Okay, I've taken out the bottom bolt." She put a dab of pixie dust on the bolt and nut (which she had screwed back together) and tossed it gently toward the table. It drifted down and landed with only one bounce, trailing dust behind it.

"Second one out," she announced, repeating the dust process on the bolt and nut, which landed beside its twin.

"Okay, I'm ready," stated Tecna, getting a firm grip.

"Last one coming out... now," said Tinker Bell, and Tecna heard a metallic zip noise, as the bolt's threads moved against the hinge.

Unfortunately, her grip wasn't strong enough. She had far underestimated the clock's weight, and Tinker Bell had forgotten to put some pixie dust on it ahead of time.

It slipped easily through the technology fairy's grip as gravity pulled it down.

"NO!" they chorused, watching in horror as the clock landed hard and broke, scattering parts in all directions. The sound was very loud, and fairies converged on it from all directions, emptying the classrooms. The teachers came as well.

"Hold it, everyone!" shouted Tecna, "Find all the pieces and bring them to the table! Hurry!"

As the student fairies began their scavenger hunt, Tinker Bell and Tecna flew down to the clock's framework. One side was bent and a strut had broken but that seemed to be the worst of the damage.

"It's my fault," said Tecna, "I didn't have a good enough grip, and it is heavier than I estimated."

"No, it's my fault," said Tinker Bell, almost crying, "I forgot to put some pixie dust on it first, so it would float and be easy to handle. I'm sorry."

"Fault isn't important right now," said Faragonda, coming over to them. She was carrying a spring, which she put down on the table. "Are either of you injured?" Both shook their heads no. "Can it be repaired?"

The small fairy looked at the damage again, then at the collection of parts that was slowly building on the table. She turned to Faragonda, her confidence strong.

"Yes, ma'am, it can," she said, "I'm a tinker, and tinkers fix things."

wc/t wc/t wc/t

The Trix landed in a small open space between several large dark pines. Overhead a Red Fountain scout ship passed by, leaving a trail of fog in its wake.

They had left Cloud Tower after eating lunch, taking a westerly course toward the Barrier Mountains. Then they turned north, knowing they would be well out of sensor range of the military school. It had worked, but they had nearly been spotted twice by long-range patrols. They had taken cover in the forest until the ships had passed.

"Blasted scouts!" grumbled Stormy, "I wanted to zap them into the next dimension..."

"Forget about them," said Darcy, trying to calm the storm witch down. They didn't need their scheme revealed at this point. "When we have the Dragonfire you'll be able to take out the entire place by yourself."

"Yeah, I could..." Stormy grinned.

"Stormy, how is our position?" asked Icy, "We ought to be pretty close by now."

Stormy's eyes unfocused for a few seconds. She had an excellent sense of direction because of her affinity with the weather, and by extension the magnetic field of the planet. She could sense north, and where Alfea was in relation to their own position.

"This will do," she announced, "It's not perfectly north-west, but close enough."

"Then let's get the show started! At your convenience, dear sister!" said Icy with a flourish and bow.

The youngest Trix raised her hands and looked up. Almost immediately moisture began to collect, becoming a cloud. It continued to grow larger and darker and more turbulent until it covered the sky. Lightning flashed and the winds grew, a distinct chill in it.

Stormy laughed and flew up to her handiwork, continuing to gather power into it. A moment later Darcy and Icy joined her. Darcy using her own magic added darkness to the water vapor, so even less sunlight filtered through it and covered the land in a half-light. Icy threw in tiny ice pellets that would stay in the cloud until they gained enough ice to fall.

"Don't make it too strong!" Icy cautioned, having to yell over the howling winds. "And scale it back some! It doesn't need to be horizon to horizon!"

"Spoilsport!" Stormy shot back, "But you're right." She made several gestures that gathered the clouds closer together.

"I just thought of something," said Darcy, "Won't they all just go inside when they see it coming? We can't blow that tiny fairy away then."

"You're right!" said Icy, thoughtfully, "Do you have a solution?"

"Yeah, I'll add a weak charm spell. They'll be engrossed watching the storm until it's too late!" answered Darcy. She turned to the clouds and cast the spell. Nothing appeared to change.

I'm going to start moving it toward Alfea. Come on, you can help with that!" Said the storm witch.

Followed by her coven sisters, Stormy flew to the back of the storm. Using her magic, along with Icy and Darcy's, they cast a spell making the clouds move in the direction they wanted.

Everything was going perfectly, and they laughed.

"How long till it gets there?" asked Icy.

"Oh, an hour or less," was the answer.

wc/t wc/t wc/t

"Is that all the parts?" Flora asked Tecna, gazing with wonder at the machinery. Technology simply wasn't her thing. But she knew she didn't have to understand it to use it.

Tecna gazed at the diagram. "I believe it is. So far, nothing looks to be damaged beyond repair, but I'm not finished with the inspection."

Tinker Bell was at the other end of the bench, using her metalworking tools on the bent part of the frame. The Winx watched in wonder as the tiny fairy used an equally tiny hammer to beat it back into shape. And it was working.

She stopped for a moment and wiped her brow. "I'll be finished with this soon. Then I will start on the broken brace." She smiled at her new friends, noting their concerned looks. "Don't be worried," she assured them, "It will be fixed by tomorrow."

Suddenly Musa looked toward the northwest. Nothing could be seen that way but blue sky and trees.

"You might have to revise that estimate," she said, cocking her ear that way. "There's a storm coming. A big one, too."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"A storm? How can you tell?" asked Tinker Bell, flying up to Musa and looking in the same direction. There was nothing that way but sky and trees.

"I can hear it," was the reply. "Plenty of lightning with it, but I don't think the rain has started yet."

"And the weather shield is down, along with the defensive shield," said Tecna.

"Wonderful," muttered Stella.

"I'll tell Ms. Faragonda," said Bloom, and hurried to the door.

"What do we need to do?" asked Flora.

"Gather the pieces and put them and the clock somewhere safe," suggested Tinker Bell.

"Logical," commented Tecna, approvingly.

"I'll get a couple of boxes, and be right back," said Flora. "Stella, will you help me?"

"Sure!" grinned the Solarian princess.

As the two friends headed for the kitchen, thinking they would have some boxes handy, Ms. Faragonda came out of the building and joined the small crowd, Bloom by her side.

"Whoa!" said Musa, pointing toward the northwest sky. The leading edge of the storm suddenly came into view, and it was dark and fast moving. Lightning flashed, and thirty seconds later the thunder rolled by.

The musical fairy cocked an ear. "The rain's started. I can hear hail, too. I think it's going to be a bad one."

The headmistress watched the storm approach, scowling, but said nothing about it. Then she turned to Tecna. "Put the pieces in the dining hall when they are gathered."

"Yes, ma'am!" replied the fuscha-haired girl.

With a nod, Faragonda went back inside.

"Are you sure you have all the pieces, Tink?" asked Bloom, scanning the table.

"I'm sure," the blond fairy replied, "Professor Palladium did a..." she turned to Tecna "What did he call it?"

"A 'find and return' spell," supplied the odd girl. "It located and brought back all the parts others missed."

"That's neat!" said Bloom.

"Yeah, Stella could use it next time she loses her shoes in the closet," smirked Musa.

'No time to waste making jokes," said Tecna, "Let's get things together! It's going to be here soon!"

Just then the wind picked up and it suddenly became noticeably cooler. The clouds were rolling in rapidly, and the lightning lit up the approaching dark.

All the fairies outside turned and watched the storm approach. The power of the weather, the flashing lightning, the loud thunder, caught and held their attention. It grew closer rapidly, finally blotting out the westering sun. The first fat drops of rain splattered around them, but they kept watching the storm.

"What's going on? Why are you all just standing there?" said Flora, loudly to be heard over the sharp breeze. That broke the spell, and everyone turned to her. She and Stella were each holding a box.

"OH! Uh... let's get it together, guys!" said Bloom.

There was a mad scramble to gather the pieces and put them in the boxes. Tinker Bell flew to the clock and circled it a few times to coat it with pixie dust. It floated off the table, and Tecna grabbed it.

"Our chance is coming up!" said Icy, "Just wait for it!" The Trix had turned invisible and were standing on the flat, round deck on the classroom wing, watching the scurrying fairies.

Picking up the boxes as the rain got harder, the fairies rushed inside the Admin Building.

Tinker Bell was the last one outside, and she flew back and forth over the table, avoiding the raindrops and checking that everything had been taken in.

She turned toward the door when a drop hit her squarely in the back, soaking her wings and causing her to fall the several inches to the table.

"I waited too long!" the small fairy thought. She looked at the door, which now seemed a long way off. She shook her wings and tried to flitter, but could not lift off.

Just then the door opened and Flora stepped out. "Tink! Come on!"

"My wings are wet! I can't fly now!" she called to the nature fairy.

"NOW!" said Icy.

Just as Flora started toward Tinker Bell to bring her inside, a very strong gust of wind grabbed the blond fairy and swept her off the table.

"AAAAHHHH!" she cried, grabbing toward Flora, who was reaching toward her, but missed by a wide margin.

"TINK!" called Flora, chasing after her.

The dark and flashing lightning and loud, immediate thunder caused her to lose sight of her new friend as the winds took her up and over the dorm wing instead of smashing her into it.

Flora transformed and flew after her. "TINK!" she yelled into the noise.

There was no response. Flora hovered, looking for the fairy's glow, but saw nothing. "No..." she said, sadly. Then she turned and flew back to the Admin building.

Going inside she found everyone in the dining hall, watching the storm through the large windows in the back and along the sides. Rain was lashing against the windows, and the winds were making them tremble just a bit.

"GUYS! HELP!" she called, "Tink's been blown away into the Dark Forest!"

There was no response.

"Guys?" she said.

"What is it, Flora? This is a great storm!" asked Bloom, turning to her, "You're all wet!"

"Tinker Bell's in trouble! The winds blew her into the forest!" she repeated.

This time everyone turned to her.

"Girls, go after her!" Faragonda ordered, "Griselda, let's get the other students and teachers."

"Yes, ma'am," said the severe teacher, and everyone scattered, changing forms as they did.

"Hey, I think the storm's letting up!" said Musa as she stepped outside.

Indeed it was. The clouds were moving past Alfea and toward the city of Magix. The lightning was coming less often, and the rain slacked up. Behind the storm the light was growing again.

"Good! That will help!" said Tecna, pulling out her sensor box.

"Which way?" Stella asked, grumbling a bit about getting wet and being in a storm.

"Over the dorms!" Flora pointed.

"Of course it's slacking off," said Icy as the Trix watched the Winx and a few other fairies as they left the quad, "We don't need it any more!" They laughed, but quietly.

A couple of minutes later the rest of the fairies and teachers came outside, transformed, and flew off to help with the search.

"That's it, the place is empty," said Darcy.

"Well, let's go then," said Stormy, impatiently, "I'm getting tired of waiting."

"Do you know were Stella's room is, Icy?" Darcy asked her coven sister.

"Of course," was the answer, "See over there, where the balcony is?" she pointed, "Her room is somewhere near it."

"How do you know?" asked Stormy.

Icy rolled her eyes. "Logic. I've seen her standing on it before, so her room can't be too far away."

The trio of witches flew over and landed on the covered porch by the building's front door. Using magic can leave a trace that could be detected, so they went in by the door.

Going inside they looked around. Directly ahead were the wide steps that branched in opposite directions. A corridor ran to their right, doors spaced evenly along the left side.

"Ugh, what a horrible color scheme!" muttered Darcy.

"Which way?" asked Stormy.

"The balcony is that way," she replied, pointing, "But now I'm not sure which floor she's on. We'll have to search." She turned to her cohorts. "You two check out that corridor. I'll go upstairs. Call me if you find it."

Icy headed up the stairs as Darcy and Stormy walked down the corridor. Their heels clicked, making an echo in the quiet hall.

"Hey, there's a sign by the doors with the student's names on them," said Stormy.

"Good, that will make it a lot easier," nodded Darcy.

Upstairs Icy had noticed the same thing. She walked along, reading the names carefully. She recognized several of them; the daughters of famous royalty. Others seemed familiar but she couldn't place them. She made a note of those names, to check out later.

Reaching the end of the corridor she turned and went back, reading the names on the other side. Along the middle of the corridor she found the rooms she wanted.

Stella was rooming here, along with Flora, Musa, Bloom, and Tecna. "Guess that explains why they are such good friends." she thought with a shudder, "Blasted fairies! But they won't matter soon. The Dragonfire is very close!"

"Darcy! Stormy! Come here, I've found it!" she called mentally.

"Good, since we aren't having any luck," she heard from Darcy.

About a minute later her sisters flew up to her and landed neatly.

"Here we go," said Icy, and opened the door.

Going inside they stopped in shock. Standing in the common room waiting for them were the Winx.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"Uh huh, thought so," said Musa with a scowl.

All five girls were in fairy form, standing in a semi-circle facing the intruders.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be out there looking for your little... pixie or whatever?" said Icy, glaring at this unexpected obstacle.

"There are enough people looking for her already," said Flora.

"Well good luck with that!" cackled Stormy, "With the wind I generated, she should be miles away. If she's even in one piece."

"Tinker Bell is a lot tougher than you think," said Bloom.

'Hang on- Tinker Bell? That's her name? You've GOT to be kidding!" said Darcy with a laugh.

"Pfft," said Icy, waving away the entire subject, "Who cares? Now Stella, either give us the ring or get out of the way."

"Not happening!" said Stella.

"Good!" said Icy, "Ice coffin!" She sent a blast of ice at the Winx, who scattered quickly and avoided it.

"We can't fight in here!" said Flora.

"Right," said Bloom, "Fireball!" A large ball of orange fire materialized and hit the Trix squarely, blowing them back out the door. They hit the far wall, but had recovered by the time the fairies had left the suite. Tecna closed the door behind her.

"Eternal Dark!" said Darcy, holding up her hands. The corridor grew darker and darker, despite the lights set in the ceiling. Soon it was pitch black around them.

"Hey! I can't even see my face in front of me!" quipped Stella. "Sunburst!" but her spell only illuminated things briefly. Darcy's darkness spell was too strong, and it overpowered the light, which collapsed back into the fairy.

"Ahhh! I can't hold it!" said Stella, "Sorry!"

"Nice try, Stella," said Flora.

"Yeah, good try," added Musa.

"We're still here!" said Icy, "Can we focus, please?"

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize it was all about you!" said Bloom.

"Thanks for speaking, though," said Musa, "Now I know exactly where you are! Super bass!"

They couldn't see what was happening, but they could hear it. A deep thrumming could be felt in their bones. The three witches screamed. Darcy's spell was broken, and the light came back. Several of the closest light fixtures shattered, as did some of the glass in the doors.

Darcy and Stormy had fallen to their knees, holding their hands over their ears. Icy was doing the same, though she had managed to stay standing.

She flung her arms toward the speakers and ice shards flew out and shredded the constructs. The sound faded away.

Before they could recover, Flora blew some dust at them that grew into vines wrapping them tightly. They struggled, but were stuck.

Bloom put her hand on Flora's shoulder. "Good job! That should hold them!"

"Don't count your witches before they're caught!" said Icy, venom in her voice.

A white glow formed around her, a black one around Darcy, and an electric blue one around Stormy.

Ice formed on the vines around Icy, and with a shrug from the witch they shattered.

In the darkness around Darcy the vines withered away and dropped off of her.

Lightning ran along the vines holding Stormy and they blew apart as the water in them boiled.

"AAAAHHH!" screamed Flora, dropping to her knees and grabbing her head.

"FLORA!" chorused the Winx and gathered around her.

"I'm okay," the flower fairy assured her friends, F- feedback was too strong." She struggled to her feet with Musa's help.

"To the Darkness with this!" said Icy, "We've lost the element of surprise, and others will be back soon."

"NO!" shouted Stormy, "Let's finish them off! We have the power!"

"Icy's right; it will take too long! Let's get out of here!" said Darcy. She grabbed Stormy's arm, and dragged the youngest Trix up through the ceiling, followed by Icy.

Not knowing that trick, the Winx flew down the corridor, down the stairs, and out the door as quickly as they could.

Outside the sky was clear in the near sunset. Over in the Forest the Trix could see the fairy's and teacher's lights as they searched for that little... thing. The dark was gathering beneath the trees, and that would make it all but impossible to find her.

"They're searching far too close to Alfea," remarked Stormy.

"If she's hurt, you will pay very dearly!" threatened Bloom with a growl in her voice.

She and the other Winx surrounded the three witches, spells ready to cast.

"Don't make us laugh, little pixie," said Icy, "We're senior witches, and you're just pathetic freshman fairies. You don't have a fraction of the power necessary to make us do anything!"

"Wanna bet?" asked Bloom, the flames boiling off of her.

"Whoa!" whispered Darcy at the display of power that lit up the school.

Just then a streak of light flew up from behind the building, leaving a glowing trail of dust behind.

"TINK!" said the Winx.

She flew into the circle of fairies and got into the witch's faces.

"I don't know who the thistle you think you are, but you're obviously not wanted here! Go away!" she shouted at them.

The Trix gaped at her for a moment, then laughed.

"Tink, they're witches! Get away from them! They're dangerous!" called Flora.

"No idea what you said, but I know a threat when I hear one. Come here, pixie!" said Icy, grabbing at her but missing.

The other two tried as well, realizing they had a hostage handy, but Tinker Bell's superior flying skills let her evade the grasping hands easily.

"If you won't leave on your own, I'll make you leave!" said the small fairy. She flew around the Trix several times,  
dropping fairy dust on them. Then she backed away to where Tecna floated.

"Hey! Get this sparkly stuff off me!" said Darcy, brushing at it.

"Bye!" Tinker Bell waved at them.

"Huh? What was she-?"

Before Icy could finish her question, all three felt a tug upwards. They all started moving into the sky, gaining speed with each passing moment.

"Hey! I can't... fight it!" said Stormy, trying to change her direction and failing.

"Me either! What is this stuff?" added Darcy.

"We'll get you for this!" shouted Icy, and with a last effort threw ice needles at them, which they easily avoided.

The witches dwindled to dots and vanished in the evening sky.

The Winx all laughed and gathered around Tinker Bell.

"It is so good to see you!" said Flora. "Were you hurt?" She held out a hand and Tinker Bell landed on it.

"Just a few scrapes," she replied. "When the wind blew me over the building, I used a trick my friend Vidia showed me to change my direction. She's a fast-flying fairy, and knows lots of wind tricks. I landed by that fence behind the school, and it took me a little time to get myself back together."

"We're just glad you're safe," said Bloom.

"What's going on?" asked Griselda, flying up to them. "We saw Bloom's flare up."

The group of fairies parted a bit, and the teacher saw the small fairy in Flora's palm. "Oh, good, you're back, and in one piece."

"The Trix were just here, after Stella's ring again," said Bloom, "But Tinker Bell took care of them."

"Really?" Griselda adjusted her glasses and stared at the guest. "Remarkable!"

The small fairy just grinned and enjoyed the praise.

"The Trix, you say?" said Faragonda, coming up beside Griselda, "I will send a note to Griffin at Cloud Tower tomorrow."

"They may not be back by then," said Tinker Bell, "I put a lot of dust on them." She looked up, but there was no sign of the witches.

That made everyone laugh, and even Griselda had to stifle a snicker.

Faragonda turned and tossed a green flare into the darkness, and all the lights over and in the Dark Forest turned and converged back to the school.

As they arrived the other fairies and teachers greeted them and expressed relief Tinker Bell was okay.

Finally everyone had had their say, and the Winx returned to their suite. The ice was still there, and it took a couple of hours to clean it up. As they did, they explained who the Trix were, and what they were after.

Good night, Tink," said Musa, heading for her wardrobe to change into sleepwear.

"Night," returned the visitor, yawning.

"I have to say that was an impressive use of your dust," said Tecna, "Simple, logical, and effective." She had been first into the room and had already changed.

"I'm just glad it worked," said Tinker Bell, standing in front of the door of her guest house. "Witches... huh, I never would have expected something like that here. Pirates, humans, trolls, sure. But witches..."

"We have trolls here too," put in Musa. "No pirates, as far as I know."

"Let's get some sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow," said Tecna with a yawn.

"Yeah, but we made a good start on it. Night." the fairy went inside.

A minute later the lights were turned off, and three fairies drifted off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Shortly after breakfast the boxes of parts and the clock were brought back out to the table. It was a beautiful morning, with crisp fall weather and a few puffy clouds.

The other Winx and students headed for class while the pair got things set up.

"How long until you're finished?" Griselda asked.

"We lost hours yesterday, so probably tomorrow morning," was the answer.

"Very good. I'll inform Ms. Faragonda," said Griselda, and took her leave.

Some hours later Tinker Bell was tapping away at the bent part of the clock's rim while Tecna dug for the broken gear and the shorn teeth. She kept glancing at the working fairy, wondering how that tiny hammer was doing anything at all to the hard metal. But every time she looked, the bent part was less noticeable.

Finally Tinker Bell dropped the hammer and sat down wiping her brow. "Whew! That was some tough going!" She lay down flat by the clock.

Tecna did a sensor sweep. "Good job, though," she reported, "The bending is entirely gone. I can't even tell where it was."

Tinker Bell looked at the sensor box with envy, but knew it was far beyond her knowledge and understanding. Pixie Hollow had a lot of catching up to do as far as tinkering went.

"I have the gear and teeth ready," said Tecna, gesturing at a different part of the table.

Tinker Bell started to get up, but the other fairy stopped her. "You have been working non-stop this morning. Take a break."

Not inclined to argue, she lay back down and put her hands behind her head. But ten or fifteen minutes later her laziness was overwhelmed by the desire to fix things and the knowledge of something broken nearby. She got up and went to inspect the clock's broken strut. The gear was the easiest thing to fix, so it was left for last.

The strut took the rest of the day to repair. Tecna's sensors kept finding tiny cracks in the repairs that Tinker Bell had to remove. But finally both were satisfied with the fix.

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That evening after finishing homework, the Winx and the visitor sat in the common room of the suite and talked. They showed her the TV and computers, and electric lights, and many other things an advanced civilization takes for granted. They also showed her different kinds of magic. Tinker Bell was fascinated with all of it, but acknowledged Pixie Hollow was not ready for such advances.

For her part, Tinker Bell told them of her home and friends, of her newly-discovered sister, and the adventures she had been on since her birth.

"Maybe we can come visit some time," said Bloom.

"That may not be easy, or wise, considering the size difference," said Flora. "I wouldn't want to go blundering in, breaking things and stepping on people."

"But there must be a spell to get around that," said Musa, "I really want to hear a concert there."

"I want to see the four seasons at the same time, and find some new types of flowers," said Flora. "Oh, and see the story tellers."

"A visit to Tinker's Nook for me," put in Tecna.

"Fashions would be a lot different there, and I'd like to check it out," added Stella.

"I want to do all of that, and meet everyone I can!" laughed Bloom.

"It would be great to have you all there and show you around!" said Tinker Bell, "My friends would love you!"

"Well, maybe some time we can make it happen," said Musa, wistfully.

"But in the meantime, you're welcome to stay with us when you visit," said Bloom, "And we'd love it if you came back soon!"

"Yeah, we'll show you the City of Magix," said Musa. "You won't believe the place!"

"And Red Fountain where the boys go to school," added Stella.

"And of course Lake Roccoluce while it's still warm," said Flora.

"There are many things left for you to see," said Tecna.

"We'll even show you Cloud Tower, where the witches go to school... from a distance," said Musa in a stage whisper.

"Thanks, Bloom, all of you," was the response. "I'll look forward to it."

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The next morning Tinker Bell spent a couple of hours repairing the broken gear, then she and Tecna reassembled the clock. It was difficult, and they had to go back and change a few steps, but the diagrams were clear and they eventually put it all back together.

There were a few anxious moments when they set the time and started the mechanism, but Tecna's sensor box confirmed the repairs were sound and the time being kept perfectly. It seemed that metal fatigue and gravity had caused the malfunction. But the tinker's repairs should last a long time.

The classrooms emptied of students and teachers as everyone gathered to see the clock put back into place.

Tinker Bell dropped pixie dust on it, and Tecna and Bloom took it up to its spot. They held it in place as the small fairy replaced the bolts holding it to the hinge.

Finally the clock was swung into position and the latch clicked firmly. The crystal was closed, and repairs finished. They looked down at the waiting people.

"Ready!" called Tecna.

"Professor Palladium?" Ms. Faragonda said, turning to the elf.

He made a complex gesture. "The clock is integrated to the system again," he announced, "Stand by..." He took a device from his pocket and stared at it a few moments. "Systems coming on line... Everything is back up! We're in good shape!"

There were cheers and congratulations from the students and teachers as Tinker Bell, Bloom, and Tecna flew back down to join the other Winx.

"Good work, all of you!" said Palladium.

Professor Wizgiz transformed himself into a copy of Tinker Bell, and flew over to her. She turned to him and was startled, thinking a mirror had been held up to her.

"Gotcha!" said the leprechaun with a grin.

"Why, you!" said Tinker Bell, and chased him around a bit until he changed back. Then they both laughed, along with everyone else.

"The remaining morning class is cancelled," Faragonda announced. "Lunch will be at the usual time."

"Dismissed!" said Griselda in a loud voice, clapping her hands.

As the crowd broke up, Tecna and Tinker Bell excused themselves to go clean up. The other Winx decided to go to the suite with them.

Just as Flora opened the door, the clock chimed eleven, and everyone stopped to listen.

"Sounded like it used to," said Bloom.

"Mmm... the chimes were a bit crisper than they used to be. I can tell," said Musa.

"I'm just glad to hear it again," put in Flora, and the others agreed.

"I can tell you that it is now running perfectly on time," said Tecna, "And that makes me feel better."

Soon they all sat in the common room waiting for lunch.

"Hey, Tec, what did you think of the clock?" asked Stella.

"As I stated, I am not used to working with technology that old, but it was a fascinating experience none the less," she answered.

"I'm just glad it wasn't me who had to fix it," said the blond princess, "My nails would never be the same again!"

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They ate lunch together for the last time, and Chef Scolia came out and gave Tinker Bell a sealed bowl containing a vegetarian pasta dish that would feed a lot of the Pixie Hollow fairies.

Many students came by the table to give Tinker Bell a farewell and a thanks as they left for afternoon class.

In Faragonda's office, the visitor put her bags and bowl down on the transfer stone. Then she flew over to each Winx and gave them a kiss on the forehead. This caused all of them to blush, especially Tecna. Then she did the same with Griselda and Faragonda.

"Griselda took a step behind Faragonda, and just nodded at the visitor. She was definitely not used to that kind of affection.

"Thank you all for a wonderful experience!" she told them.

"I am glad you had a good time, and thank you for your service!" said Faragonda. "And you and your friends are welcome to visit any time!"

"Bye, Tink!"

"Say hi to everyone for us!"

"Come back soon!"

"Take care!"

"Be logical and use your new knowledge to improve the lives of everyone!"

The others in the room looked at Tecna, and rolled their eyes.

Tinker Bell flew back to the stone and picked up her bags.

"Bye, everyone! I'll miss you!"

Just then the clock struck a single chime. Tinker Bell gave a 'thumbs up' and vanished from Alfea, gone back to Pixie Hollow.

Re-appearing in the ring by the root, Tinker Bell looked around. She was home. Making sure her bags were secure, she tossed some dust on the covered dish, and pushed it toward Tinker's Nook.

She had a lot of stories to tell.

The End


End file.
